Super Sixth: Publications

This page connects you to all known publications related to the
6th Armored Division, from its inception and training, through
its combat campaigns in Europe, to the formation of its post-war veterans'
association. Many of these documents are excerpted or even reproduced
in their entirety on this or affiliated sites.

Divisional Histories

Excerpts from: The Super Sixth: The History of the 6th Armored Division
in World War II and its post-war Association

by George F. Hofmann, with maps, cover, and heraldry designs by Richard
M. Crossett.

This is THE definitive book about the 6th Armored Division. It was first published in 1975,
and was out of print for several years, but it has now been reprinted.
It tells the story of
the 6th Armored from its pre-war roots, through its exploits in Europe,
to the state of the post-war Association in the mid-70s. Historian George
F. Hofmann pulled together official records, personal histories, and veterans'
photographs to compile a fascinating and technically accurate description
of the Super Sixth. He also drew upon the talents of Richard M. Crossett,
whose series of maps make up the first excerpt from the book on this web
site.

Important copyright notice: The excerpts from The Super
Sixth by George F. Hofmann are not in the public domain. These excerpts
are presented here with the generous permission of the author. Copyright 2000, George F. Hofmann. No portions of the book may be reprinted or copied without the permission of George F. Hofmann, Cincinnati, Ohio 45248.

Excerpts from:Combat History of the Super Sixth

by William E. Rutledge, Jr.

When William E. Rutledge of Division Headquarters returned home to
North Carolina after the war, he published a Division history that provided
some background, photographs, and personal stories that were lacking from
the excellent but dry Combat Record of the 6th Armored Division.

Many, many thanks to Roy Cross, veteran of the 212th Armored Field Artillery
Battalion, B Battery, Recon Section, for the extended loan of his
copy so that it could be scanned for this site.

From Brest to Bastogne

Excerpts from:The Combat History of the Sixth Armored Division in the E.T.O.

Considered one of the best divisional histories to come out of the
European Theatre. The day to day descriptions of movement and engagement
are extremely detailed and accurate, but do not make for casual reading.
However, the appendices contain some fascinating information, and these
will be reproduced here over time. Currently, the excerpts cover casualty
and decorations statistics.

Battalion Histories

The following histories were compiled and published shortly after the
war. In addition to the ones below which have been scanned for this
web site, a number remain in the queue: 50th AIB, 15th Tank Bn, 25th Armored Eng,
777th AAA:

Unit History, 68th Tank BattalionWritten
at the end of the war by Lts. Robert J. Burns and John S. Dahl, and
published and distributed by battalion adjutant Lt. Paul Warp.

Seek Strike
Destroy, the unit history of 1st Platoon, Recon Co., 603rd Tank Destroyer
Battalion. Written by Nick Civarra at the end of the war.

We've
Come a Long Way Together, the Combat History of Division Trains
(reproduced in its entirety, thanks to the efforts of unit veterans Ed
Pellegrom (Admin. Chief) and Clint Humphries (Comm Chief), and to Associate
member Joe Grimes, son of S/Sgt Hubert Grimes, Trains Recon.

Division Artillery Battle Book, the Combat History of Division Trains
(reproduced in its entirety, thanks to the efforts of Super Sixth family members Marian Deeney and Ute Koch).

Personal Histories and Memoirs

Several Sixers have written down their WW II memories late in life, and they are
all very good. These personal histories have an in-your-face quality missing
from most unit histories.

The Odor of War, by Sergeant Andy Giambroni, 50th AIB. Written and
published in 2000 by a Super Sixer, this book recounts Andy's experiences in Stateside
training, through his battle experiences in Europe including his wounding, and his occupation
duties and post-war return to civilian life. Andy tells of his experiences with a refreshing
blunt honesty, painting a picture of combat from the infantryman's perspective. Order info:

Send check or money order (only) for $20.00, payable to "Odor of War". Price includes shipping
and handling. Mail with name, mailing address, city, state and zip to:

Odor of War
P.O. Box 459
Red Bluff, CA 96080.

$2 for every copy sold in 2001 is donated to the World War II Memorial
Fund

Five GIs in Battle -- World War II -- , by G. Hudson Wirth. The second book written by this Super Sixer veteran of the 50th AIB.
Tells the stories of five of his fellow infantrymen. See the order form.

Jim Moncrief's second book, As It Was An
excellent follow-up to his first book. Jim is one of my favorite people, and he's led a very full
life, lived honorably. Contact him via his web site for order info.

A Soldier's Memories (of the 212th AFA in California and the ETO)
-- Photocopied. This document is no longer available.

Other related publications

From Camp Colt to Desert Storm:
The History of U.S. Armored Forces

Edited by Dr. George F. Hofmann and Gen. Donn A. Starry.

This is the only complete history of the U.S. Armored Forces, and was
partially funded by the Sixth Armored Division Association. See the
ordering information on the main home page.

Darkness Visible

By Charles Sumners

Charles Sumners was a combat photographer with the 166th Photo
Signal Co. His job: go wherever the Third Army was fighting, and take photos.
Two of his photos appear in the montage on the front page of this web site.
He has just compiled a book of his experiences, and an entire chapter is
devoted to the 6th Armored Division. (Weird fact of war: Charles worked with
a young non-com who carried a movie camera. Sgt. Russ Meyer. THE Russ Meyer.)
Monitor the publisher's web site for book availability:
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640, USA.

Battle for Brittany

By Jon Gawne

Jon Gawne has published a book about the almost-forgotten battle of Brest in August of 1944.
He devotes an entire chapter to the 6th Armored Division's once-famous run to Brest after
the breakout from Normandy. See the publisher's web site for ordering information:
Militaria.com .

Coming in future updates...

Excerpts from the following publications:

Where can I buy these books?

The most common question received by the webmaster of this site is "Where
can I buy one of these books?"

Unfortunately, all of the older publications are out of print. Most
were published just once during or right after the war, and never reprinted.

The first edition of Hofmann's Super Sixth was published in 1975 and the last copy was sold around 1983.

However, the book has been reprinted by Battery Press,
for the first time in 25 years. They are selling this book for 49.95,
plus shipping and handling. As of December 10, 2000, the author had a
very limited supply
that he was selling at a discount price. See the notice on the
main home page for ordering information.

Some of the more recent books are still available. Jim Moncrief's As
You Were, Soldier is available from his personal web site:
http://members.aol.com/jimmonc/soldier.htm. Hudson Wirth's
I was an 18 Year Old Infantry Replacement is available for a $20.00
donation to the Patton Museum.
See the order
form found in the Personal
Stories section of this web site. Sergeant Andy Giambroni's recently published
The Odor of War is available at the address shown further up on this web page.

You can occasionally locate the older titles through used books
dealers. Prices range widely and wildly, depending on the condition of
the book, and the knowledge of the book dealer. A mint condition, first edition copy of
Hofmann's book might exceed $200 from a dealer who specializes in military
publications. Or you might find a prize for a couple of dollars from a
seller who knows nothing about the division's history.

Some used military books stores have a strong web presence, and may
provide a good starting point in your search.

THE FOLLOWING LINKS DO NOT IMPLY AN ENDORSEMENT OF THESE BUSINESSES
BY EITHER THE SIXTH ARMORED DIVISION ASSOCIATION OR THE WEBMASTER OF THIS
SITE.